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“Oh, Ariston. I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “My father wasn’t. He convinced her that he loved her and then when he got bored, he left. Like he always did … always will until even his money won’t be able to pull in the beautiful women.”
Chloe put her hands on Ariston’s chest, trying to infuse him with comfort.
He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as if trying to hold in some great emotion. “I vowed then that I would never tell a woman falsely that I loved her.”
“You told Shannon you loved her.”
“And look what that got me. Humiliation and betrayal.”
“I’m not Shannon and you aren’t your father,” Chloe pointed out with fear-spiked optimism.
He took in two deep breaths and let them out before dropping his head and opening his eyes, their cerulean depths filled with an emotion she was terrified to name lest she was wrong. “Saying it was not a positive experience for me.”
“It can be.” She smiled up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll show you.”
He shook his head. “I should go first. I am no weakling.”
No, but he was a man who had been traumatized by the words. “I love you, Ariston. I never wanted to leave you in the first place and I never would have refused to come back. I love you and I always have.”
“Why the birth control?” he asked starkly, as if the words came from somewhere deep inside him. “If you wanted to be with me, why make sure our marriage was doomed to failure?”
“I wanted you to love me before we had children together and were irrevocably linked.”
“You wanted our marriage to be about emotion, not a contract.” His tone was more subdued than she’d ever heard it.
“Yes, but that doesn’t matter anymore. Regardless of what prompted our marriage, I love being your wife. You have to understand, Ariston, just being with you makes me happy.”
“Being with you makes me happy too.”
“Because?”
“Because I …” His voice choked off and he had to take another deep breath, his cerulean depths suspiciously shiny. “Because I love you. I do, more than I knew a man could love a woman. I can’t stand the thought of you ever leaving me.”
“I won’t.” She made it a vow from the very depth of her soul.
“I’m not like your father.”
“In the important things, no, you aren’t.” And her father had shown that even men like him could change.
“I won’t neglect you or our children for SSE. I have an excellent management team. I don’t have to spend sixty hours a week at my office.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I want children.”
“I know.”
“But not for Pappous. I want them for us, because I want a little girl with your eyes and little boy who wants to grow up to be a painter.”
“Not a CEO?”
“Can’t we have more than one?” She laughed at that, the joy just spilling out of her. “Let’s let the future take care of itself.”
“I’m not very good at that.”
“I’ll teach you.”
“You’ve already taught me the most important thing.”
“How to say ‘I love you’?”
“How to love.”
Tears slipped down her own cheeks and she sniffed. “We have a lifetime to get it perfect.”
“It already is.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say you love me,” Chloe admitted in wonder.
“I never thought I’d have the courage.” That admission cost him, even as Ariston showed with his open expression that he didn’t regret making it.
“I left two years ago because I thought you would never love me.”
“Because of the divorce papers.”
“That and the fact you never said the words.”
“Pappous always told me they weren’t necessary.”
“I adore your grandfather, but he’s not always right.”
“Don’t let him hear you say so.”
“I won’t.”
“I love you,” Ariston said again, pulling her even closer, as if trying to meld their bodies.
“I love you so much, Ariston. I have from the very beginning.”
“That’s what you hoped for,” he realized with wonder.
“My love.”
“Yes.”
“You have it. Forever.”
“And always.” Sappy tears burned her eyes, but she wasn’t embarrassed.
Her mom would have approved.
Chloe would never regret having the courage to take a chance on love, even love that seemed hopeless.
“Our children will know love,” Ariston said with great satisfaction.
